As the battle goes on Jim Harbaugh still has not gotten that elusive win over his older brother and the person he looked up to and shared a room with for 16 years as a kid.
The third edition of the HarBowl between John Harbaugh and his brother Jim ended the same way as the other two, with the victory going to John. The Baltimore Ravens did not get off to a good start and were trailing by 10 points early but then outplayed the Los Angeles Chargers the rest of the way. The Ravens went on to a 30-23 win with Lamar Jackson throwing for 177 yards, two touchdowns and rushing for another.
John Harbaugh improved to 3-0 in the Harbaugh Bowl.
“It means a lot. With me being a big brother, I can’t lose to my little brother. That’s what I believe going into the game he was thinking about that a lot. We came out victorious today,” Jackson said.
The Harbaughs coached against each other twice when Jim was the coach of the San Francisco 49ers, and John won both meetings, including Super Bowl XLVII.
Monday’s result had nothing to do with John getting the better of Jim in the coaching aspect, although John had to make some difficult and game-altering decisions that took guts, including going for it on a key fourth and one from his own 16-yard line. The outcome was due more to John Harbaugh having a much more complete roster to work with. The Ravens have some noticeable flaws, especially on the defensive side of the ball, but they are still in a different weight class and significantly ahead of the Chargers
The brothers shared a quick embrace and handshake at midfield after the game.
“I just told him, ‘You’re a great coach and you have a great team. And I love you.’ And he said, ‘I love you and congratulations.’ It was good,” John Harbaugh said.
Embed from Getty ImagesBe patient and give Jim Harbaugh some time. He is doing just fine in his first season back in the NFL after nine years coaching at his alma mater, the University of Michigan, where he won a national championship in 2023. The Chargers have posted a record of 7-4, even after the loss, and are likely to earn a wild-card playoff spot. And maybe sometime in the near future he can have another classic rematch against his brother, and perhaps get a win against him.
“They ran the ball real well. We need better block destruction just across the board, but you’ve got to give them credit. They did a heck of a job,” Jim Harbaugh said.
One of the bolder and controversial coaching decisions of the NFL season so far paid off big time for the Ravens late in the second quarter.
On their own 16, the Ravens acted like they were going to go for it just before the two-minute warning, in an attempt to draw the Chargers offsides and get a free first down. That particular plan backfired, so it seemed like they would not have any other choice but to punt the ball away after the two-minute warning. However, the offense came on the field, tight end Mark Andrews took a snap and sneaked it ahead for the first down. That gave the Ravens’ offense some energy and momentum, and the drive was capped with Rashod Bateman’s 40-yard touchdown catch. That gave the Ravens a 14-10 halftime lead after they fell behind 10-0 early in the game.
Justin Herbert completed 21 of 36 for 218 yards and ran for a 5-yard touchdown on a scramble up the middle on the Chargers’ opening drive.
“I thought we did a good job of limiting turnovers and keeping the ball. We’ve just got to score more points,” Herbert said.
The Chargers executed a very nice 24-second drive to end the half, picking up 36 yards to set up a 52-yard field goal by Cameron Dicker as the second quarter came to a close. The Chargers trailed 14-13 going into halftime.
Both defenses stepped up and kept each offense out of the end zone in the third quarter. The Ravens lead was 17-16 going into the fourth and final quarter. It was a well-coached game between two good teams. As expected.
The Ravens were able to extend their lead early in the final frame on a sweet jumping touchdown catch in the end zone by Andrews.
The Chargers could have responded if it were not for an unacceptable drop by 2023 first-round pick Quentin Johnston on a third-and-6. Johnston could have turned it up for a huge gain, but it went right through his hands and the Chargers punted. He has failed to live up to his potential.
It was not the usual explosive long Lamar Jackson or Derrick Henry run that broke it open after that. It was backup running back Justice Hill who took a third-down handoff to the outside and found a crease for a 51-yard score. The Ravens led 30-16 after that chunk play and it was going to be nearly impossible for the Chargers to mount a comeback from that. A Chargers touchdown in the final minute made the score look more respectable.
The Ravens have been a well-oiled machine on offense in the majority of their games this season. The win moves the Ravens to 8-4, just behind the 8-3 Pittsburgh Steelers for first place in the AFC North. At their best, the Ravens are a Super Bowl contender with MVP candidate Lamar Jackson leading the way. The Ravens are also well coached. So are the Chargers. Jim Harbaugh just needs a little more time to get his team to the same level John has his.
The Ravens host Saquon Barkley and the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.
The Chargers travel to the ATL to face Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.
